Parts cleaning machine



Sept. 18, 1962 M. RANDALL 3,054,411

PARTS CLEANING MACHINE Filed Feb. 26, 1960 2 Sheets-Sheet l FIG.2

INVENTOR. Max Randall ATTORNEY Sept. 18, 1962 M. RANDALL 3,054,411

PARTS CLEANING MACHINE Filed Feb. 26, 1960 2 Sheets-Sheet 2 INVENTOR.

Max Randall ATTORNEY 3,054,411 PARTS CLEANING MACHINE Max Randall,Spring Valley, N.Y., assignor to Ramco Equipment Corp, New York, N.Y., acorporatlon Filed Feb. 26, 1960, Ser. No. 11,243 3 Claims. (Cl. 134111)This invention relates generally to a parts cleaning machine, and morespecifically to an improved spray type degreaser.

An object of this invention is to provide an improved degreaser havingself-propelled rotating spray arms drsposed Within the degreaser tank.

Another object is to provide means for oscillating a parts holding meanswithin the tank relative to the rotating spray arms to insure completewashing of an entire part or work piece.

Another object is to provide in a degreaser means for filtering andrecirculating the cleaning fluid from the tank to the rotary spraymeans.

A feature of the invention resides in the provision that the rotation ofthe spray arms within the tank coupled with the oscillating movement ofthe parts holding means enables the cleaning fluid spray to reachrecessed parts and cover areas not possible with fixed spray headers.

'Another feature resides in the provision that the improved degreaserenhances economy in that much less cleaning solution is required to bepumped to clean a given number of parts.

The various features of novelty which characterize the invention arepointed out with particularity in the claims annexed to and forming apart of this specification. For a better understanding of the invention,its operating advantages and specific objects attained by its use,reference should be had to the accompanying drawings and descriptivematter in which there is illustrated and described a preferredembodiment of the invention.

-In the drawings:

FIG. 1 is a front elevation View of the degreaser of this inventionhaving parts shown in section.

FIG. 2 is a top plan view of the degreaser.

FIG. 3 is a side elevation view on a reduced scale, and having partsthereof broken away.

FIG. 4 is an enlarged detail of the rotating spray means.

FIG. 5 is an enlarged detail of of the spray means.

FIG. 6 is a perspective View of a modified form of the invention.

The parts cleaning machine or degreaser, of the type to be hereindescribed, has wide application in industry for removing oils,compounds, waxes, grease tars, metal chip and other dirt and grime fromvarious parts manufactured by machining, stamping, drawing, quenching orbuffing operations prior to painting, plating, pickling or phospatingsuch manufactured parts. Referring to the drawings, the degreaser 10comprises a tank 11 designed to contain a body of cleaning fluid 12. Forcleaning operations which require highly caustic acid or alkalinecleaning solutions, the tank 11 is formed of a corrosive resist ancematerial, such as stainless steel. As shown in FIGS. 1 to 5, the tank 11is formed with a bottom wall 13 and oppositely connected front, rear andside walls 14, 15 and 16, respectively. The upper end of the tank 11 isprovided with a top 17 and an inclined surface 18 having a relativelylarge opening 19 therein to provide access to the interior of the tank.Door sections 20 and 21, hinged at their outer ends to the top 17 of thetank, form the closure for the opening 19. If desired, upright rests 22are secured to the sides 16 of the tank for supporting each door section20 and 21 in the open position. If

the distributing nipple desired, front loading door 20A, 21A may beprovided instead.

According to this invention the rotating spray means are disposed withinthe tank 11 for directing moving streams of cleaning solution in a densepattern against the manufactured parts to be cleaned. As shown, thespray means include a supply pipe 23 extending along the bottom of thetank. The supply pipe 23 extends inwardly from a side wall 16 to a pointintermediate the front wall 14. In the illustrated form the supply pipe23 connects to a pair of upwardly extending branches 24, 25 positionedclosely adjacent oppositely disposed walls, e.g. the front and rearwalls 14, 15, respectively, of the tank. Connected to the upper end ofeach branch 24, 25 is an elbow 26 for receiving a threaded nipple 27having a plurality of openings 28 in the Wall thereof. Rotatably mountedon the nipple 27 is a hub 28 that is provided with opposed threaded ortapped openings 28A, 28B for receiving radially extending sprayer arms29. A flange 30 connected to the end of the nipple 2.7 by fasteners 31for rotatably securing the hub 28 thereto.

Longitudinally spaced along each sprayer arm 29 at predeterminedintervals are a plurality of spray nozzles 32 for directing streams ofcleaning fluid inwardly toward the center of the tank 11.

Connected to the outer end of each sprayer arm 29 is an elbow 33 adaptedto receive a reaction nozzle 34. As shown, each reaction nozzle 34 hasits respective discharge orifice oppositely disposed so that thereaction to fluid discharging therefrom effects rotation of the sprayerarms 29.

Means for pumping fluid to the supply pipe 23 and to the connected sprayarms 29 include a pump 35 positioned adjacent a wall 14 of the tank. Thepump 35 is motor driven and is provided with a suction inlet 35A whichconnects with the bottom of the tank below the liquid or fluid level,the outlet 35B of the pump connects with the supply pipe 23. Thus itwill be noted that in operation the tank 11 is filled to a suitablelevel as indicated at 36 and the fluid is continuously recirculated fromthe tank 11 to the spray means through the interaction of the pump 35and connecting piping.

The dirt, sludge, grime and other waste which is deposited on the bottomof the tank during cleaning is prevented from entering the pump 35 byfiltering means. Referring to FIG. 1, the filtering means comprises aliquid compartment 37 defined by suitable partition members adjacent theinlet end 35A of the pump 35. The compartment 37 is closed by animperforate cover 381 at the upper end thereof to prevent any of theliquid washing ofl? the parts being cleaned from entering intocompartment 37. One side of the compartment 37 is open to the mainliquid or fluid supply of the tank. This side is provided with aremovable filter screen 38. The screen 38 prohibits dirt and sludge andgrime collecting in the bottom of the tank from entraining in the fluidpassing from the main supply to the intake side 35A of the pump 35.

Means for supporting the workpieces or parts during a cleaning orspraying operation include a carrier or Wire basket 39 supported betweenthe opposed rotating sprayer arms 29. In accordance with this inventionthe basket 39 is provided with hangers 40 for supporting the same from across-bar 41 eccentrically connected by links 42 to journals 43A, 4313which are rotatably supported in suitable bearings in the front and rearwall, as shown in FIG. 3.

In accordance with this invention means are provided for oscillating thebasket 39 and the workpieces supported therein to enhance the cleaningoperation. In the illustrated embodiment, gearmotor 44 is provided witha rotat- Patented Sept. 18, 1962 ing spindle'45 to which there isconnected an arm link 46 for-rotation therewith. A similar link 47 a isconnected to two links 46, 47 is a connecting rod 48. Thus itwill benoted that rotation of the motor spindle 45- istranslated to the journal43A through the connecting bar 43 and the cross-bar eccentricallymounted by links 42 to the journals 43A, 43B in turn is rotated toefiiect an oscillating-motion to the work basket 39. With the relative'movement between the moving spray arms and connected nozzles and theoscillation of the workpieces, it has been discovered the cleaningaction is enhanced in that stubborn dirt and grime can be moreeffectively removed. In addition, the cleaning fluid is able to reachportions of the workpieces otherwise rendered inaccessible. Also thearrangement described has been found to be more economical in that thecleaning cycle time can be reduced, whileat the same time requiringmuchless cleaning solution to be pumped to clean any given number ofparts.

If desired, submergedheaters, not shown, may be provided to heat'thecleaning solution. When such heaters are employed in' the arrangementdescribed, further economy is realized in that the B.-t.u.s of heatother Wise required with fixed spray degrea'sers can be materiallyreduced since much less solution is required. Also a shorter cycle isattained.

Suitable control means including a start, stop switch 49 is connected inan electrical circuit to control the operation of the pump 35 and motormeans 44. Included in the circuit is a micro-switch 50 actuated by thedoors 20, 21 whereby the circuit is broken when the doors are open. Thisinsures that the spray action is stopped when the doors are open.

If desired, an overflow or stand pipe is provided to in surethat thelevel of the cleaning solution be maintained substantially uniform.

A modified embodiment is illustrated in FIG. 6. This form isdirected tothe tunnel type cabinet 7 As shown the tunnel cabinet 70 is defined bytop, bottom and connected'side Walls 71, 72 and 73, respectively, todefine a cabinet which is open at either end, As shown, pipes'74 and 75having a common supply- 76 extend along the length of the tunnel cabinetadjacent the side walls 73 at the bottom thereof. Each pipe 74, 75 l1asa plurality of spaced upright branchpipes 76 which have connected tothe. upper ends thereof rotating spray arms 77, similar in. all respectsto those hereinbefore described. In the embodiment of :FIG. 6, asuitable conveyor (not shown) isprovided for moving the workpiecesupporting baskets between the opposed rows of rotating spray arms 77.It will be.understood that tunnel type degreasers are well known andtherefore only that portion which the applicant considers to be hisimprovement is illustrated. Therefore the fluid pumping means andcollecting means are not illusn'ated as any suitable known means may beprovided therefor.

While inaccordance with the provisions of the statutes there-isillustrated and described herein the best form and mode of operation ofthe invention now known to the inventor, those skilled in the art willunderstand that changes may be made in the form of the apparatusdisclosed without departing from the spirit of the invention coveredbythe claims, and that certain features of the invention may sometimes beused to advantage without a corresponding use of other features.

What is claimed is:

1. A parts cleaning machine having opposed front, rear, side, top andbottom walls to define a tank adapted to contain a cleaning fluid, spraymeans disposed adjacent a pair ofopposed walls of said tank, means forrotating said spray means for directing a stream of fluid inwardly ofsaid tank, a parts holding basket disposed between said rotating spraymeans, means for oscillating said basket, said oscillating meansincluding across-bar for supporting said basket, said cross-bar beingeccentrically journaledto opposed Walls of said tank, a motor having arotating spindle, an eccentric arm fixed to said spindle and saidcross-bar to rotate therewith, and a connecting rod connected to saideccentric arms whereby the rotating motion of said spindle is translatedthrough said connecting rod to said cross-bar to oscillate said basket.

2. A parts cleaning machine having opposed front, rear, side, top andbottom walls to define a tank adapted to contain an amount of cleaningfluid, spray means disposed adjacent the opposed' walls of said tank, asuction pump for circulating a cleaning fluid from said tank to saidspray means, filtering means disposed in said tank on the intake side ofsaid pump to filter the abrasive particles out of the fluid to besprayed, said spray means including a main supply pipe, an uprightbranch pipe connected to said main supplypipe, a distributing hubrotatably connected to the end of the upright branch pipe, a-

plurality of radially extending cross arms connected to said hub forreceiving the fluid therefrom, a plurality of spray nozzleslongitudinally spaced along each of said cross arms, said nozzlesdirecting a stream of fluid inwardly of said tank, a reaction nozzleconnected to the end of each cross arm to effect rotation of said crossarm upon discharge of fluid from said reaction nozzles, a partsholdingmeans including a basket disposed between said'spray means, meansfor oscillating said basket, said oscillating means including across-bar for supporting said basket, said cross-bar being eccentricallyjournaled and rotatably mounted on opposed walls of said'tank to supportsaid cross-bar, a motor having a rotating spindle, an eccentric armconnected to said spindle and one of said cross-bars journaled to rotatetherewith, and a connecting rod having its end connected to saideccentric arms whereby the rotary motion of said spindle and connectedeccentric arm is translated through said connecting rod to one I of saidjournals to'oscillate said basket.

3. The invention as defined in claim 2, wherein said filtering meansincludes a means defining a compartment adjacent the intake side of saidpump,- and a removable filter screen separating said compartment fromsaid main fluid reservoir portion of the tank.

Zademach May 8, 1956

